Ben McLeod “Ideas #7” Silent Auction Lot #124

Metal artist Ben McLeod works in a very intuitive way, allowing the direction of a work to be determined by the materials at hand and the energy emanating from them. Open to the unexpected, McLeod is willing to take the time to resolve a piece, letting the metal ‘speak’ to his artistic process. “I have learned over the years that when I get a strong feeling from material, I pick it up or I know I will be sorry I didn’t,” says McLeod. “When I work on a sculpture, I have to get feedback from [it], I have to feel an energy from it….whether towards art or anything else in life—your gut feeling, it’s yours, use it.” McLeod’s metal sculptures are often unexpectedly whimsical as well as arresting. Working in two dimensions allows him the use of two parallel and integrative processes in his creative style: he can move freely between sculptural concepts and his personal vocabulary to express his particular vision in abstract welded steel. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, McLeod grew up in Vancouver. His first job was working in a chrome plating shop in the East End. He recalls, “Grinding, polishing, welding, and making a bit of cash to boot….I suppose that’s where I got started working in metals. I liked working with my hands and I was fascinated with how things worked, how they were made, and where they came from.” McLeod has exhibited with Paul Kuhn Gallery and Virginia Christopher Gallery. His work is represented in collections such as: Alberta Foundation for the Arts; Epcor; Howard Mackie; Canada Council Art Bank; Nickle Arts Museum; and University of Calgary.